Transitions

Two years ago, the journal decided to move to a new level of functioning with an online editorial board and invited Samiran Nundy from New Delhi to be Editor. Over the last two years, Dr Nundy’s personal commitment and leadership inspired the editorial board and was responsible for making dramatic improvements in the journal’s editorial quality and visual appeal. Its visibility was also increased with a programme to send the journal to all medical colleges in India. Dr Nundy stepped down as Editor last month. We are sorry to see him go but hope to continue the work he started and welcome Sanjay A Pai as Acting Editor in his place.

The population control debate is not new, but the terms of reference don’t seem to have changed over the years. We carry articles on the subject from different perspectives – from a memorandum opposing injectable contraceptives and an article on the national population policy to a selected summary arguing for women’s right to sex selective abortion. Also discussed are two books on the subject, one concerning the injectable contraceptive Depo-Provera and the other on India’s family planning programme. As our editorial asks, what is the way out of the population control debate?

The other editorials also reflect upon difficult situations confronting health professionals. Is it ever permissible for doctors to go on strike? What are the key concerns of relief workers in a disaster area?

With the January 2005 issue, we introduce a new column, ‘Discourse’, a space for longer essays exploring ethical questions of particular interest to India and other developing countries. We start with an essay on abortion.